Home Forums Peripherals & Multimedia Peripherals Weird Popup

Lately I've been getting this popup on my Mac every few days. Odd Popup

It started happening after I purchased USB adapter

I don't see where they are connected. I would like to get rid of this popup. Any ideas?

I would venture a guess that these popups are concurrent with a restart of your computer?

The popup is

1. an authorization to add the additional ports to your system
2. WARNING: The popup identifies the attachment of a USB 2 device. Which means the 40 gigabit Thunderbolt 4 port on your MacBook will be limited to less than 480 megabits per second. (IMHO USB 2 is acceptable for connecting a printer, keyboard, mouse, or thumb drive, but little else.)

Your options are:

1. Learn to live with the occasional popup
2. Try a different port adapter that supports at least USB 3
3. If all you are connecting ONLY USB devices use a USB HUB rather than a port adapter.

Hi Joe:

I don't want a hub because it's my laptop and hubs are cumbersome because it's always on my lap! I've also used small adaptors like mentioned but they are flimsy, and the one from apple has a cord which I don't want even though I have that one. I'm not worried about the speed. I just want to be able to attach previous accessories like my printer, phone charger etc. With this new adapter (which fits flush to my Mac) it is so much better for me. I actually love it.

I'm not sure about the USB-3 stuff which always confuses me, but from the reviews, it's compatible with USB-3. It's working for my devices so that's all that matters to me.

I wonder if I contacted the company if they could shed any light on getting rid of that popup?

Nope on the restart, though it may happen when I connect a device to it. I'm not sure. I will have to pay attention. Thanks for your input.

Makes sense to me.

Suffice it to say that electronically USB n (where n=1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, 3.1 gen 2, 3.2, or 4) is backward compatible with USB n - 1 but runs at the speed of the device with the lowest USB number. The USB connectors (USB A, B, C) are a different matter, but USB C connectors can be used with USB 3.0, 3.1, 3.1 gen 2, 3.2, 4, and Thunderbolt 3 and 4). And that is the simple explanation leaving out the even more confusing marketing appellations high-speed and super-speed. I still refer frequently to this Wikipedia article to be sure of the details.

Popups are typically software creations, including macOS, and I cannot imagine why or how your device would create the popup. But that doesn't mean a condition might be raised that triggers macOS to trigger the notice.

Your clue is Via Labs mentioned in the popup. I don't find Via Labs mentioned in the Amazon description of your multiport connector so that would seem to indicate some device you are connecting to the multiport connector as the offender. Do you have any Via Labs devices? Maybe something as simple as this?

That pop-up looks totally like a macOS creation.

Sidenote: Over a bit more than 20 years, I've seen OS X/macOS generate a huge number of pop-ups, and with every new one, I'm struck by the fact that the particular error had to have been anticipated, with the pop-up being the result of that anticipation. It's truly mind-boggling!

I just went through the product list on the Via Labs website and found that they don't make any complete devices...only components. It looks to me like the pop-up is reacting not to Rita's adapter itself, but, specifically, to - I'll guess from what I saw - its interface with her MBP.

Your clue is Via Labs mentioned in the popup. I don't find Via Labs mentioned in the Amazon description of your multiport connector so that would seem to indicate some device you are connecting to the multiport connector as the offender. Do you have any Via Labs devices? Maybe something as simple as this?

I only connect my printer and my lightening cable which I connected with my small, adapters and I never got that message. That's why I think it may have something to do with the actual Plugable adapter.

I just emailed Plugable. I wonder if there is anyway to disable that popup.

I looked at the Plugable support page and I am not the only one with this popup. I put "via labs" in the search bar and got this: Via Labs



I just went through the product list on the Via Labs website and found that they don't make any complete devices...only components. It looks to me like the pop-up is reacting not to Rita's adapter itself, but, specifically, to - I'll guess from what I saw - its interface with her MBP. [/quote]

Let's see what Plugable says, although since the pop-up is a macOS function, and it's being caused by a third party device that Plugable has absolutely no control over, I'll bet that they won't be able to do anything about it. It appears to be just a price you're going to have to pay for buying top of the line functionality and putting it to bottom of the line use. Kinda like you bought a Lamborghini and are using it as a station car, so you're getting a nasty letter from the parking lot administrator.

If an intermittent pop-up is your only issue, you've done yourself well. Also, remember that over time you'll eventually get a new printer and maybe upgrade your other peripherals, at which time the pop-ups will go away.

I started life with a Mac...never used a PC, but I'm in much the same position, and I'd never consider anything less than a full-blown Mac even if, say, an iPad would suffice my needs.

If an intermittent pop-up is your only issue, you've done yourself well. Also, remember that over time you'll eventually get a new printer and maybe upgrade your other peripherals, at which time the pop-ups will go away.

Right. That would be good if it would go away, but in the meantime, I'll just deal.

I'd never consider anything less than a full-blown Mac even if, say, an iPad would suffice my needs. [/quote]

As you may remember I always have a backup Mac. Now it's my late husband's 2019 iMac which does the job for I need it for. I've never had an iPad and never saw the need. But if the iMac dies on me or gets too old because the software doesn't work with anything anymore, I might consider an iPad as a backup since they cost less than a full blown Mac, at least the one I would buy would be less.

I laughed out loud when I read that, because we all overlooked the obvious answer from the get-go...that the pop-up is no more insidious than a manifestation of Apple's new, enhanced security features.

Just click on "Allow," and follow the instructions. (Clicking may automatically take you to the appropriate pref pane.) Personally, I'd select "Always...," and I guess it's the appropriate answer for you, because I don't think you've got anything critical that may need to be blocked attached.

Thinking about it, I don't know why I didn't advise you to click on "Allow" from the get-go.

I think I kinda invented a "conspiracy," because the pop-up isn't the traditional one I expect from macOS, which includes an explanation, instructions, and a direct link to System Settings, because it was a component of your device, rather than the device itself that was triggering the pop-up, and because it mentioned USB 2.0 while your device is far more advanced than that. (The 2.0 was referring to your attached devices.)

Oh, well...glad the mystery is solved.

"If you choose Don’t Allow, the accessory can still charge, but no data is transmitted."

The only things in your setup that involve data transmission that I'm aware of are your printer and your backup SD card. Have you tried to print, and has your card backed up as expected?

Other than that, I'm clueless.

Yes, I have used my printer and my SD card is working, so I am clueless also.

The only things in your setup that involve data transmission that I'm aware of are your printer and your backup SD card. Have you tried to print, and has your card backed up as expected?

Other than that, I'm clueless. [/quote]

USB Audio?

I have used my blue tooth speaker with my Mac if that's what you mean. I finally "allowed" the device now that I know that it wasn't an invasive thing on Via Labs' part. Thanks, Joe.